The invention of the Barcelona Gothic Quarter

Cocola Gant, Agustin 2014. The invention of the Barcelona Gothic Quarter. Journal of Heritage Tourism 9 (1) , pp. 18-34. 10.1080/1743873X.2013.815760

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Abstract

The Barcelona Gothic Quarter was re-constructed in the twentieth century. Although theoretically historic monuments refer back to past epochs, in many cases they were produced recently. In Barcelona, medieval buildings were restored in a gothic style, while other historic buildings and facades were moved stone-by-stone into the area and ordinary residential houses were removed and replaced by seemingly historic buildings. As a result, the new Gothic Quarter seems to be a space which is completely medieval but was actually re-built between 1927 and 1970. This re-creation was meant both as an example of the invention of tradition in the context of Catalan nationalism and as a way to promote the city through spectacular historic monuments, irrespective of whether they were materially authentic. In this context, this article focuses on the second phase of this process, in the commoditisation of heritage alongside city marketing, stressing the relationship between the touristic promotion and the production of urban space. It also examines the principal reconstructions in the neighbourhood and how this process of changing a residential area into a space for tourist consumption were the first signs of gentrification in Barcelona.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Geography and Planning (GEOPL)
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Authenticity, commoditisation, urban heritage, national identity, Barcelona.
Additional Information:	Pubished online: 24/08/13.
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	1743-873X
Date of Acceptance:	6 June 2013
Last Modified:	11 Dec 2020 03:21
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/68238

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